Published: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 03:05 AM.

Homewood Farm is a bright spot in Alamance County — owned and operated by new farmer, land owner and beekeeper Larry McCauley. Making people feel welcome and comfortable seems to be a specialty of his, even to the point of providing a bowl of fresh-picked strawberries to snack on while he talked about his passion for farming, people and hard work. McCauley is a local man, making friends with the businesses and people in his area. He worked for years in real estate but moved to farming within the past year. He started with strawberries to ease into the farmer lifestyle, but he said he hopes to one day expand to growing corn and asparagus. Born in Burlington, McCauley traveled the nation with his parents all through childhood, finally coming back home to North Carolina when he was 17 years old. Even though he didn’t technically grow up in the area, Alamance County is a big part of McCauley’s heart and life. “We moved into this house in ’79,” McCauley said, motioning toward his home, a mere stone’s throw from the strawberry farm. “And unless something happens, this is the last place I’ll be.” McCauley may be new to the business of farming, but gardening has always been in his blood. “We’ve had a garden for my entire life.” He said. “We don’t buy vegetables. We grow, can and freeze all our vegetables. And I’m an outdoorsman, so a lot of our meats come from behind this house. There’s something about that, sitting down at the table and realizing that everything on there came from my own efforts.” His two acres of strawberry fields, a small portion of his property, are the last remnants of the Homewood Farms, belonging to his wife’s great-aunt, Louisa Homewood. Besides strawberries, one of the things you can expect to find at Homewood Farm is country charm and southern hospitality. McCauley planted grass between the rows, weed eating it several times a week, just so his customers won’t have to walk in the mud. He even built a sink at the edge of the field to wash off dirt and strawberry stains. Homewood Farm opened last Saturday to strawberry pickers; it’s best to call ahead for hours of operation (see schedule). McCauley concluded with a couple berry picking tips for his customers, encouraging them to pick only the darkest red berries, which will have the most flavor. “Berries do not ripen once they’re picked. You pick a berry that’s a little too green, it’s going to always be a little too green, and it will never be as sweet.” Lastly, handle the berries gently, keep them cool, and don’t wash them until just before you eat them. Homewood Farm is located at 3815 Friendship Patterson Mill Road; it is closed on Sundays.

Elisa Abele is a second-year Culinary Arts student at Alamance Community College and an Accent intern.

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Homewood Farm is a bright spot in Alamance County — owned and operated by new farmer, land owner and beekeeper Larry McCauley. Making people feel welcome and comfortable seems to be a specialty of his, even to the point of providing a bowl of fresh-picked strawberries to snack on while he talked about his passion for farming, people and hard work.
McCauley is a local man, making friends with the businesses and people in his area. He worked for years in real estate but moved to farming within the past year. He started with strawberries to ease into the farmer lifestyle, but he said he hopes to one day expand to growing corn and asparagus.
Born in Burlington, McCauley traveled the nation with his parents all through childhood, finally coming back home to North Carolina when he was 17 years old. Even though he didn’t technically grow up in the area, Alamance County is a big part of McCauley’s heart and life.
“We moved into this house in ’79,” McCauley said, motioning toward his home, a mere stone’s throw from the strawberry farm. “And unless something happens, this is the last place I’ll be.”
McCauley may be new to the business of farming, but gardening has always been in his blood.
“We’ve had a garden for my entire life.” He said. “We don’t buy vegetables. We grow, can and freeze all our vegetables. And I’m an outdoorsman, so a lot of our meats come from behind this house. There’s something about that, sitting down at the table and realizing that everything on there came from my own efforts.”
His two acres of strawberry fields, a small portion of his property, are the last remnants of the Homewood Farms, belonging to his wife’s great-aunt, Louisa Homewood.
Besides strawberries, one of the things you can expect to find at Homewood Farm is country charm and southern hospitality. McCauley planted grass between the rows, weed eating it several times a week, just so his customers won’t have to walk in the mud. He even built a sink at the edge of the field to wash off dirt and strawberry stains.
Homewood Farm opened last Saturday to strawberry pickers; it’s best to call ahead for hours of operation (see schedule). McCauley concluded with a couple berry picking tips for his customers, encouraging them to pick only the darkest red berries, which will have the most flavor.
“Berries do not ripen once they’re picked. You pick a berry that’s a little too green, it’s going to always be a little too green, and it will never be as sweet.”
Lastly, handle the berries gently, keep them cool, and don’t wash them until just before you eat them.
Homewood Farm is located at 3815 Friendship Patterson Mill Road; it is closed on Sundays.

Elisa Abele is a second-year Culinary Arts student at Alamance Community College and an Accent intern.